Traffic signal apparatus



March 7, 1933.

J. HEUER 1,900,060

TRAFFIC SIGNAL APPARATUS Filed Nov. 17, 1931 2 SheetS-Sheet 1 A Invemar:

5 17e-)Jef Hel/er Attorm-,y

March 7, 1933. 1 l HEUER 1,900,060

TRAFFIC SIGNAL APPARATUS Filed Nov. 17, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Mar. 7, 1933 UNITED STATES` JosEE HEUER, or GBUNE, GERMANY TRAFFIC SIGNAL APPARATUS Application tiled November 17, 1931, Serial No. 575,670, and in Germany September 28, 1931.

This invention relates to traliic signal apparatus of the type in which a rotating pointer is used, arranged to indicate road clear and stop respectivel during dil'erent portions of its rotation. v enerally apparat'us of thiskind is mounted on a post, or suspended, at street corners, with clockdriven pointers working on discs which face the streets, the length of the pointers bein about equal to the radii of the discs. e 1 f According to my invention a pointer is used, which is in the form of a double armed beam pivoted at its centre. This beam may work on a disc having a diameter about equal to the length of the beam, the disc having thereon marks or signs for indicating clear and stop, according to the position of the pointer. Such signs may be disposed as to enable a double reading to be obtained, with 2 both pointer arms.

A convenient method is to colour the disc in segments, there bein two diametrically opposed segments (as, -or instance, green) for indicating clear and two-diametrically opposed segments (red) for indicating stop. The red segments may be somewhat larger than the green.

The double armed pointer has the advantage of being visible at -longer range, and

lends itself well to giving signals by virtue of its position alone, without regard to markings on a disc or dial. With a one armed rotating pointer there must in general be distinctlve marks to-which the same points,but

with the double pointer the vertical position. may in itself give a clear indication and the horizontal position indicating stop, in accordance with the customary semaphore practice. There is also the advantage that 4 where distinctive marks are used, generally colored segments on a disc, these may be duplicated, so that both ends of the pointer are eiective, andif one end is accidentally obscured from certain points of View the 5 other end affords the signal required. With the double pointer very simple and efective dis ositions can be made where it is-desirable to ave on the disc a larger area of one color Athan of the other, inasmuch as a symmetrical disposition ,of color segments may be used.

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It may be that at crossroads the traffic is heavier along one line than along the other,

in which case the green segments are made larger for the main road, and the green segments for the lighter stream of trailic are correspondinglyreduced.

I may use for the signalling apparatus a housing with a pyramid-shaped roof of transparent material, so that daylight may be used for illuminating the translucent discs, instead of having electric light during the daytime. The root` may be supported by four downwardly inclined arms radiating from a central post or tube, which is inside the housing and supports the motor driving the pointers. The said arms may have at the free ends lugs for joining them to corner pieces ofv stamped metal, supporting the frame of the housing. This isan inexpensive method of construction, largely avoiding internal parts which revent free illumination of the discs by the ight'falling through the roof.

The floor of thc'housing may also have a pointer operating on a colored dial or disc for signalling purposes, there being, say, four green and four smaller red segments, and the pointer serving, in conjunction with the pointers at-the sides, to control traiiic which is turning right or left at the crossroads.

An example of apparatus according to the 30 invention is shown in the annexed drawings, in which Fig. l is Aan elevation thereof; partly in section, with the front disc removed, and

Fig. 2 a plan view;

Figs. 3 and 4 are side views of two adjacent sides ofv the trailic signal apparatus on a smaller scale.

Figs. 5, 6 and 7 are sectional views of varietails on an enlarged scale, and

Fig. 8 is a bottom view of the disc and pointer at the bottom of the housing.

The apparatus shown, designed for suspension from a wire or bracket, has four discs, each with a pointer 1 pivoted at the center of 95 the disc. A vertical central tube 2 supports an electromotor 3 for actuating the pointers,

4 being a gear case with bevel gears 5 driving the spindles 6 of the pointers. At the upper end of the tube 2 there is a spider 7 with lugs 100 '@9 accurately and 8 supporting channelled, inclined arms 9 fixed to the lugs by bolts 10 (Figs. 1, 2, 5 and 6). rllhese arms support a pyramid-shaped roof of glass (for instance reinforced lass) or other transparent material, and are Joined by triangular lugs 11 to stamped corner pieces 12. 'lo the latter are fixed the several parts of the frame or casing 13, also of stam ed metal. 'lhe roof is constructed with articuo lar care. On each arm 9 there is a. ayer 14:

of felt, under the lass 15, and over this is a cover strip 16 wit a lead strip 17 between it and the glass.

'llhe four discs 18 are fixed externally to l5 the casing, forwardly inclined 'at angles of for Iconvenient viewing. 'llhis forward inclination also tends to prevent the settling of dust and snow on the discs. At the rim of each disc, outside, there is a tubular spring ring 1 9 (Fig. 7 of steel, held by a spring 20, and a hood or guard 21 of celluloid or other translucent material is fitted to keep snow from the disc and pointer.

As'shown in-Figs. 3 and 4l the pointers 1 and 11 of two adjacent discs facingin direction at an angle of 90 are at a phase angle of 90 to each other. Each disc has two green fields 22, 221 and two red fields 23, 231, the latter be' ing slightly larger than the green ields, so that tralic along one road is stopped slightly before the trame along the other is released, enabling vehicles actually on the crossing at .the time of sto page to clear the crossing before the crossow starts. Of course the green fields may if desired be of the same size'as the red, and yellow'ields ma be introduced to indicate intervals durin t e times of change. 'llhe pointers are pre erably white, and of uniform breadthexcept at t e tapered tips. Near each tip there is a hole 2d, through which the color of the field behind the pointer can be perceived, at close range. When the ointer shown in Fig. 3 reaches the position 1ndicated by broken lines it indicates the beginning of a stoppage of trailic from the direction in which the disc faces. At the same time the pointer shown in Fig. d is in the position indicated by broken lines, still on a red eld, and a short time must elapse before trafgc is released from the road which this disc aces. 'lhe ring 19 is marked in sections 25 and 26, black and white respectively, alternating with each other, each section corresponding to a certain period of time.

The housing has a transverse bar 27 at the top, for double suspension at the ends 28, 22

of the bar. 'lhis has the advantage of steadying the apparatus and of enabling it to be set permanently to face the respective roads.

e transparent root enables articial light to be dispensed lwith in day time,but a lamp or lamps must of course be used at night.

l:tor each disc pivotally mounted from its cenanonce@ The inclined surfaces 30, also of reinforced glass or the like, may be used for road signs or the like, likewise artificially illuminated at night.

Generally speaking it is preferred to make the pointers rotate with uniform speed, but elliptical gearing may be used to accelerate the rotation near the points of transition from red to green. Thisreduces the risk of error ,and enables the diderence in size between. the red and green fields to be made comparatively large.

'llhe door of the housing may have a disc or dial and a pointer as shown in Fig. 8, with four red sectors, much smaller than the four intervening green sectors, the area of the red sectors being equal to the diderence between red and green areas of the side discs. The periods during which the pointer is on the small red sectors are the periods during which through trac in allV directions is stopped. With reference to this dial or disc special regulations for traffic turning right or left may be made, as convenient, such' turning being allowed either when the ointer is on the red sectors, or when it is heginning to sweep over the green sectors, or is about to pass od them.V

llt will be understood thatartificial light may be used during the daytime if desired. lf daylight is used it maybe desirable to provide some indicator or sign which is placed in evidence when the apparatus is not in operation.

What ll claim as my invention and desire to secureby Letters lPatentA of the United Stte is :.-m l

.. tra c signa a aratus com risin a plurality of discs; a dublaarmed gointe for each disc pivotally mounted from its center point to the center of its disc; and means for slowly rotating the pointers in the same direction, each disc having differently colored sectorscorresponding to diiferent trame periods whereby each period is represented with two diametrically opposite sectors of the same size and color.

2. A trame signal apparatus comprising a plurality of discs; a double-armed pointer ter point to the center of its disc; and means for slowly rotating the pointers in th@ same direction, each disc having two diametrically opposite sectors, on an approximately vertical diameter, ofthe same color and size for through trac and two diametricallyopposite sectors, on an approximately horizontal diameter, of the same color andsize for arrested trac. v 'iat 3. A trame signal apparatus according to claim 2, in which the two sectors I:lor the through trame are green and the two sectorsY 4Jfor the arrested trame are red, and in which means are provided around each disc tovi- "MU sionally indicate periods of time for the sectors.

4. A traiic signal apparatus according to claim 2, in which the sectors to indicate arrested trailic are somewhat larger than the sectors for through traflic.

5. A traic signal apparatus accordin to claim 2, in which the sectors on the iscs may be adjusted relative to each other and symmetrically relative to the vertical and horizontal diameters of each disc.

6. A traffic signal apparatus com rising a four-sided casing; a dlsc mounte on each side ofthe casing; a double-armed pointer for each disc rotatably mounted from the center point thereof to the center of the disc; and means in the casing for slowly rotating the ,ointers in the same direction, each disc havlng differently colored sectors corres onding to the different traic periods wherelhy each period is represented with two diametrically op osite sectors of the same size and color.

n testimony whereof I aiix my signature.

JOSEF HEUER. 

